Maya Drought Case Study

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Facts and Interpretations Gill et al., 2007 Chronology Gill et al., (2007:298) mentions that the Maya suffered four major demographic disasters: The Preclassic Abandonment (A.D. 150-200), the Hiatus (535-595), the Collapse (760-930), and the Postclassic Abandonment (1450-1454). There are four phases of abandonment separated about fifty years apart around A.D 760, 810, 860 and 910 (Gill et al., 2007:283). In addition, the Terminal Classic Drought occurred from about A.D 770 to 1100, with a wetter period from 870 to 920 (Gill et al., 2007:294). There are no dates recorded anywhere on Maya monuments after 10.4.0.0.0, January 18, 909 until Mayapan surfaces around 1200 (Gill et al., 2007:290). The last dates from large Maya cities indicate four …show more content…

Additionally, data from a stalagmite taken from Macal Chasm shows evidence of serious drought which make up the most prolonged dry interval of the 3,000-year record, it lasted from A.D 700 to 1135 thereby …show more content…

There is not ample explanations and discussions surrounding Maya’s settlement patterns. In this sense, Gill et al., (2007:287) mentions that the Maya Lowlands during the Collapse of drought affected certain areas more at one time and less at another, even though the entire region was experiencing drought (Gill et al., 2007:287). The major city, El Mirador was abandoned and did not reoccupy until the Late Classic period, the collapse of this city is a result of drought. In addition, to the east, population in the Three Rivers region rose about 70% (Gill et al., 2007:288). Gill et al., (2007) does not spend a lot of their discussion surrounding settlement patterns. The settlement patterns mentioned above briefly refers to how drought affected certain areas of the Maya region. Gill et al., (2007) incorporates the discussion of settlement patterns, in terms of how a site was abandoned or depending on the region there was a population increase.

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